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| Schwinn Stingray advertisement from 1963 |
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We’ve probably all heard of the bicycle brand name “
Schwinn.”
If you didn’t have one when you were a kid,
then you probably knew someone who did.
After all, we’re talking about a company that started manufacturing
bikes in 1895.
The Schwinn brand was a
staple and industry leader for much of the 20
th century.
Models such as the Stingray, Continental,
Varsity, and World were around for decades and many of us have probably pedaled
one of these in our lifetime.
As with
many companies, Schwinn fell on hard times and eventually went bankrupt in 2001.
The Schwinn brand was eventually purchased by
Dorel Industries and is alive and well again today.
Currently the Schwinn brand is divided into two different
markets. Schwinn bicycles are sold at
larger retailer stores. These are the
mass produced Schwinn bikes that are sold at stores such as; Walmart, K-mart,
Sears, Toys R Us, Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dunhams and other larger chain
stores. Schwinn bikes typically have a
lower price point (some starting at about $100) and are available for the entry
level or casual rider. The second
category available under the Schwinn brand name is the "Schwinn Signature Series." Schwinn Signature bikes are only available at
independent bike dealers. This is where
Country Squirrel Outfitters comes in.
Schwinn Signature bikes are one of the bike brands that we offer through
CSO. Schwinn Signature bikes are suited
more for the experienced rider and have a little higher price point (ranging
from about $300 to $1,500). Walmart (and
other mass retailers) that sell Schwinn bikes are not able to sell the Signature
Series bikes. Likewise, independent bike
dealers that sell Schwinn Signature Series bikes are not able to sell the entry
level Schwinn bikes. What this means is
that you will not be able to purchase a Schwinn Signature Series Voyager bike
at Target. Likewise, you will not be able
to purchase a Schwinn Merge bike at Country Squirrel Outfitters.
So what makes a Schwinn Signature Series bike different than
a regular Schwinn? It’s all in the
components and materials. Lower end
bikes will sometimes be produced using materials such as steel or plastic where
Signature Series bikes utilize aluminum or stainless steel. Signature Series bikes usually have higher
quality (lighter weight and more durable) components (shifters, brakes, wheels,
tires, cranks, etc.) These differences
might not even be noticeable unless you are a gear junkie (like us) and you
know the difference between Shimano Alivio shifters and Shimano XTR shifters
and know that there is about a $220 price difference between those two
shifters. So how do you know the
difference between a Signature Series and a regular Schwinn? Aside from the differences in components, Schwinn
Signature Series bikes will be clearly labeled somewhere on the frame.
Schwinn makes some great bikes for every level of
rider.
They also make many bikes that
are great for riding on the Clarion-Little Toby Rails to Trails (or any other
bike path type of trail).
For this type
of riding, we recommend you check out the “
hybrid” or "
bike path” collections
offered by Schwinn.
If you are
interested in a Schwinn bike, stop in and talk to us and we can help you
through the process of choosing the right bike for you.
